Sometimes, we look at someone who's led a long and rich life, and assume that, given all they've accomplished, their confidence levels must be through the roof.
And if you're not feeling great about yourself for whatever reason, seeing these strong, confident people can sometimes make you feel even worse.
But as it turns out, we're all human, and that means we all come with our own insecurities, particularly about our looks.
After all, we live in a world where it seems like there's always someone telling us we don't look "right." Some people though, like the girl who became a model to show that having a disorder and being beautiful aren't mutually exclusive, are standing up to these restrictions to make the world see that beauty comes in all forms.
But some people need a little more encouragement to see that where they see flaws, everyone else sees something amazing.
Take Nora, for instance. At 73, she'd lived in multiple cities all over the world, had worked a number of interesting jobs, and had a full, interesting life. But Nora was still hung up about her looks, thinking she was "plain."
Then, photographer Emily Stein stepped in.
She created a series called Hello, I'm Nora, in which Nora bared almost all and struck some seriously sexy, but still tasteful, poses, and finally saw herself the way others had been seeing her for years.
Check the photos out below, and maybe they'll inspire you to show off your sultry side!
[H/T: Lost At E Minor, It's Nice That]
Photographer Emily Stein met Nora, a 73-year-old woman who, despite living and growing through decades and having a wild roller coaster of a life, had never really felt comfortable with her looks.
Stein and Nora looked through some of Nora's old photos. But while Stein was struck by Nora's natural beauty, Nora described herself as "plain."
"It struck me as such a shame," Stein said, and it also gave her an insight into just how deep insecurities run, especially in women.
"No matter what we look like, we are all so critical of ourselves, and even at 73, Nora is no more at peace with how she looks."
So Stein decided to show Nora that "plain" was simply not the case, and the two set up a fun, sexy photo shoot to celebrate Nora's life, achievements, and beauty.
Nora has a breezy style that's full of both modern touches and retro glamour.
She's a natural at fashion, but Nora is also more than a pretty face. She's also had a life that most of us can't even imagine.
At only 19, she was married to her first husband and gave birth to a daughter.
She would marry three more times in her life, and worked in Prague as a conceptual architect for the national gallery there.
But she followed her third husband to the U.K. where the couple soon split up, leaving Nora homeless.
But that didn't stop Nora.
"Since my first marriage and birth of my daughter… I have adhered to a fundamentally self-reliant philosophy of responsibility and respect for all living creatures," she says.
And though she struggled after her third divorce, she kept going.
Nora also does things her own way, and has no qualms about marching to the beat of her own drum.
"I have never felt the inclination to belong to, participate in, or follow any social, political, or professional club, institute [or] circle," she says.
But although she has this strong conviction and sense of self, she spent much of her life thinking of herself as plain, and felt insecure with her looks.
So Stein wanted to show Nora to herself — and to the rest of the women out there who worry that they're the wrong size, shape, age, or color — and prove that every body is beautiful.
And Nora is a natural at modeling! Today, Nora is married to her fourth husband, and is, as she puts it, "enjoying the relatively unfamiliar leisurely existence of a housewife."
Stein reports that the photo shoot helped Nora feel "more comfortable and content with herself and her body."
And it shows us that there's no age limit on learning to love yourself.
Let's hear it for Nora, and for all the ladies who don't know their own beauty!
SHARE this bold photo shoot with anyone you know who might be struggling with self-image, and boost someone's confidence!
